Famous quotes containing the words test and/or myths:
“If a test of civilization be sought, none can be so sure as the condition of that half of society over which the other half has power.”
—Harriet Martineau (1802–1876)
“What passes for identity in America is a series of myths about one’s heroic ancestors. It’s astounding to me, for example, that so many people really seem to believe that the country was founded by a band of heroes who wanted to be free. That happens not to be true. What happened was that some people left Europe because they couldn’t stay there any longer and had to go someplace else to make it. They were hungry, they were poor, they were convicts.”
—James Baldwin (1924–1987)